


The click of a pen

by PalmTreeTuesdays



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Jeremy is desperate, M/M, Soulmates AU, These chapters are so short oml, either one of you, if my sister is reading this your dead, jeremy is a furry, lmao Michael saying yes no homo is an inside joke between me and my sister
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-05 06:32:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19043080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PalmTreeTuesdays/pseuds/PalmTreeTuesdays
Summary: Rich liked to draw. He would draw on his hand, his arm, any free surface on his skin that was free of scars would be drawn on.His soulmate liked the drawings. He would always draw hearts by Rich’s drawings, to show his appreciation. And in some sort of wacky 80s comedy-esque fashion, Rich’s soulmate was Jeremy Heere.





	1. Chapter 1

Rich liked to draw. He would draw on his hand, his arm, any free surface on his skin that was free of scars would be drawn on.   
His soulmate liked the drawings. He would always draw hearts by Rich’s drawings, to show his appreciation. And in some sort of wacky 80s comedy-esque fashion, Rich’s soulmate was Jeremy Heere. The Squip-cident was over, and Jeremy was adjusting to his new friend group, happy that his peers still welcomed him. The Squip-squad, they called themselves. They were all at lunch one day, when Jeremy noticed something. A new drawing appeared on his arm, a flame, with people burning all around it. Jeremy winced, although grateful that Rich was in the bathroom. Jeremy grabbed a pen from his pocket, clicking it open. *Why a flame?* Jeremy wrote, *Your drawings are usually so sweet.*  
*Not everything in life is sweet* appeared on Jeremy’s arm.   
*Will I ever meet you?*  
*I’m sure you will someday.* Jeremy sighed in exasperation.   
“Talkin’ to your soulmate?” Brooke asked, winking at Jeremy.   
“Yeah. At least you have your soulmate right in front of you.” Jeremy gestured to Chloe.   
“I’m sure you’ll meet yours soon enough.” Christine butted in, with a smile.   
“I hope, it’s just-” Jeremy was cut off by Jake.   
“There you are, buddy!” Jake said to Rich, “What took you so long?”  
“Oh, Y’know. The usge.” Rich sat back down next to Jeremy. “Hey, tall ass, mind lending me some fries?”  
“Of course. Have any of our food, although the fries are crusty as hell.”  
“Better than what I packed.” Rich grabbed a handful of fries, laughing.   
“What did you pack?” Jenna asked.   
“Jenna!” Michael kicked her from under the table, glaring.   
“It’s fine, guys. Cheese.” Rich giggled.   
“Mood.” Chloe said, “Have any of y’all talked to your soulmates lately?”   
“Yeah.” Jeremy said, blushing.   
“Damn, I haven’t.” Michael said, sighing. Christine and Jake nodded in agreement.   
“My soulmate died.” Jenna said, her eyes shining.   
“You’re full of shit.” Chloe rolled her eyes.   
“He did! That’s the motherfucking tea, sis.”   
Chloe snickered. “No one says that, Rolan. How about you, Rich?”  
“Well…they seem to be nice, I guess.” Rich idoly doodled on his wrist. “Hey, I’m cutting. Anyone in?”  
“How many classes?” Jake leaned in, his chin resting on his knuckles.   
“All of ‘em.”  
“Sure, I’ll skip.” Jake stood up, grabbing his crutches as the bell rang. 

********************  
“So, what’s the deal with your soulmate, bud?” Jake sat down, leaning against the brick wall of the school.   
“Not much. I mostly doodle, and they draw hearts next to their favorites.”   
“You should write to them!”   
“Now?” Rich joined Jake on the grass.   
“Sure.”   
“Okay.” Rich pulled out a pen from his pocket. “What do I even say?”   
Jake stayed silent, thinking. “Ask their gender.”  
*So, random question. Guy, gal, or non binary pal?*  
*Guy.*  
“It’s a dude. He’s a dude, I mean.” Rich said, showing the writing to Jake.   
“Lit, bro.”   
*So, where you at?* Rich scribbled on his wrist.   
*Class :( New Jersey is mah state*  
“He wrote Mah state.” Jake laughed.   
Rich grinned. “He’s in New Jersey, Jake!”  
*Me too!*  
*That’s great! It sure makes a meet up a hell of a lot easier. How about you?*  
*?*  
*Gender*  
*Oh, I’m a dude*   
*Cool! So, not to be persistent on anything, but, uh, we are soulmates. Can we possibly meet soon?*  
“Fuck, Jake. He really wants to meet, but I’m worried. When he sees me…”  
“You’re scars are fine. Badass, even.”   
*Ok. Next month?*  
*:)*


	2. I can’t do this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy smiled to himself as he walked home. He would meet his soulmate within the next month. Once he reached his house, he stopped, pulling out a pen.

Jeremy smiled to himself as he walked home. He would meet his soulmate within the next month. Once he reached his house, he stopped, pulling out a pen.   
*Hey :>*  
*nerd (:*  
*heathen*  
*your mom*  
*i have a dilemma* Jeremy wrote on his hand, biting his lip.   
*hm?*  
*well, I’m worried for one of my, uh…*  
*yes?*  
*one of my friends.*  
*why?*  
Jeremy sighed. How did he even begin to explain Rich’s situation?  
*his dad…he doesn’t talk about it, but it’s obvious he’s not in a good home. I don’t know how to go about addressing the situation. I’m the probably the closest to him, but I still don’t know how to, like, ask him about it? Be there for him? All that shit.* Jeremy clicked the pen closed, waiting for a response. Finally, 10 minutes later, a response appeared.   
*im not the best to answer that* the writing was messy and smudged, clear that it had gotten wet. Jeremy sat there, perplexed. He was sitting there, lost in thought for 20 minutes before his phone rang.   
“Hi Michael!” Jeremy smiled, answering the call.   
“Any news from your sooooooulmate?”   
“I asked him what to do about Rich.”  
“And?”  
“All he said was he can’t answer that. And it was smudged.”   
“Maybe it is Rich!” Michael burst out laughing over the phone.   
“Can you imagine? Richard Goranski? Fucking Christ, man. That’d me awkward, considering…”  
“How did you become best buddies, anyways? Y’know, he did beat you up 5 days a fucking week. And the homophobic jokes.”  
“I don’t know. Our Squips connected, and he liked me. It was nice, bro. And then, we had our squips for the longest amount of time. Also, we were in the hospital together.”  
“Cool story, bro. I got new weed from Dustin! You should come over!”  
Jeremy looked at his clock. “I can’t.”  
“Sucks to suck!” Michael hung up. Jeremy looked down at his leg, a new message appearing.   
*im sorry.*  
*what?*  
*i can’t do this*


	3. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *you can’t mess with this shit! We’re soulmates*  
> *but he’s just…these freckles, man. And his hair. It’s brown, it’s fucking beautiful. His fucking smile, his laugh. Listen, I’m sorry.*

Michael pulled out his phone, calling Jake.   
“So he wrote *i'm not the best to answer that,* right?” Michael asked Jake, pacing around his room.  
“Yes. And, get this, he’s hot for Jeremy!”   
“What the fuck!”   
“He said that he can’t do this anymore to Jeremy. Because of Jeremy. He’s told me that he likes him.”  
“Holy shit! I need to fucking go to his house, casually ask him, y’know?” Michael grinned from behind the phone.   
“Call me back.”  
“Got it. Over and out or whatever spy shit people say. ” Michael hung up the phone, heading down the stairs. “I’m going, mom!” Michael yelled, running out the door, on his way to 711, before going to Jeremy’s. 

****************

“Nothing like bribery, Micha.” Jeremy said, taking a slushie. “What is it?”  
“A large slushie.” Michael said, laughing.   
“No shit, Sherlock. Why did you bring me this?”  
“What, can’t your best friend bring you a slushie?” Michael looked at Jeremy, his face framing the look of innocence.   
“You did this when you quote-on-quote had a one man intervention about me being a dolphin furry. What’s going on?” Jeremy looking incredulously at Michael.   
“Rich.” Michael crossed his arms. Jeremy started blushing, averting Michael’s gaze.   
“What do you mean?” Jeremy mumbled.   
“God, look at your fucking face, Jere. It’s red.”  
“No! M’ not blushing!” Jeremy said, glaring at Michael.   
“Okay.” Michael pulled out his phone, angling it toward Jeremy. “The new Apocalypse of the Damned is coming out next week. We should camp out again.”  
“Sure,” Jeremy said. “We have to bring more sugar, though. We can’t fall asleep again, and-”  
“RICH!” Michael yelled suddenly.   
“Wha-where?” Jeremy looked around the room, blushing wildly.   
“Aha! I knew it!”   
“N-no. I don’t have a crush on Rich, you dumbass!”   
Michael laughed. “I never said you did.”   
“Oh, come off it. Maybe, but, like, soulmates are a thing. And I have one for a reason.” Jeremy said, putting his hands on his hips. “But, my soulmate did say that he *can’t do this anymore,* so maybe there’s hope. Ah, who am I kidding. I’m doomed to be single and alone. Rich isn’t dumb enough to go for me.”  
“And I was in the 8th grade?” Michael rolled his eyes.   
“That’s different. We were kids, and didn’t know better. Everyone was dating to fit in. You had to jump on the bandwagon, Micha.”   
“Good talk, chief. Anyway, I’m leaving.” Michael left Jeremy’s room. “Talk to your soulmate!” He said with a wink, heading down the stairs.

**********************

*what do you mean???????* the writing appeared on Rich’s leg, messy, scrawled on fast.  
*theres this guy at my school.*  
*you can’t mess with this shit! We’re soulmates*  
*but he’s just…these freckles, man. And his hair. It’s brown, it’s fucking beautiful. His fucking smile, his laugh. Listen, I’m sorry.* Despite the words he just wrote, Rich smiled, thinking of Jeremy.   
*it’s fine. Keep going.*  
*he probably hates me.*  
*thats not true*  
*i was a dick to him*  
*i know the feeling*  
*at least I’m not the only one* Rich wrote, clicking his pen closed, sighing.   
*no, someone was a dick to me.* Rich’s pen clicked again, earring an exasperated sigh from the shorter boy.   
*oh*  
*yeah*  
*how?*  
*he’d punch me…push me into lockers…then he was my drug dealer. I almost destroyed the planet.* Rich dropped his pen, his hands shaking.   
*Holy. Fucking. Shit.* Rich wrote fast, the letters wavering.   
*i know! But now, I think I like him. He’s so cute. And when he’s drunk…he’s a giggly drunk. It’s adorable. And he’s hot, and, this sounds fucked up. I’m falling for my tormentor! But, what’s a guy to do?*  
*and what’s his name?* Rich’s letters were barely readable at this point.   
*Rich* Rich shut his eyes tight for a few seconds, processing all of this.   
*Goranski?*  
*you know him?* Rich didn’t respond for the rest of the night. 

************************

“ITS FUCKING ME! MY SOULMATE IS JEREMY HERRE. THE GUY I’D BULLY. THE GUY I'M FUCKING FALLING FOR AND THE GUY WHO’S FALLING FOR ME!” Rich screamed at Jake through the phone.   
“Chill, man.” Jake said, calmly.   
“CHILL? CHILL! I CANNOT CHILL, JAKEY D, MY DUDE!” Rich grinned.   
“You should write him. Or text him. Email. Call. FaceTime. Whatever. I have to go, tell me how it went.”  
Rich sighed, clicking buttons on his phone, the familiar sound of FaceTime vibrating through his bedroom. A few rings in, Jeremy’s face appeared on the screen.   
“Hey, Rich. W-what’s up?”  
“Draw something on your leg.”  
“Wh-”  
“Do it, Heere.” Rich flipped the camera to his leg. A few moments later the same drawing appeared on the shorter boy’s leg.   
“Holy shit.” Jeremy dropped his phone.   
“Hi! I’m still here. Your tormenter.”  
“Fuck, Rich, I’m sorry.”  
“It’s fine. I deserve it.” Rich said, flipping the camera back.  
“No! I mean, uh, no, Rich.”  
“I was-”  
“A dick. I know, you’ve said it before. To your soulmate. To me.” Jeremy smiled at Rich.   
“Am I really that cute when I’m drunk?”   
Jeremy rolled his eyes. “You’re always cute.”   
“You’re always in my head.” Rich said, winking at Jeremy through his phone.   
“T-thanks?” Jeremy stuttered, flustered.   
“See you tomorrow, soulmate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos make my day! :>
> 
> Honey, you’ve got a big storm coming  
> You could ship 5 or 6 ships or,,,,,just 1


	4. Where is Rich?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Where the fuck is Rich? Why was he sent in?”  
> “Black eye. Could barely walk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit that was short, but for story purposes it had to be

Rich wasn’t at school the next day. Or the rest of the week. Jeremy wrote. Jake called. Jenna tweeted. His friends DMed him, snapped him, everything. Everyone tried to reach Rich, to no avail.  
“I don’t get it! Where could he have gone? You’re his best friend, Jake.” Jeremy sighed.   
“You’re his soulmate.” Jake said to Jeremy, leaning over to take a French fry off of Jeremy’s lunch tray.   
“He hasn’t been in school for a week! He just left without a fucking trace!” Jeremy yelled, standing up.   
Michael pulled him down. “People are starting.” He said through gritted teeth. Jeremy stood up again, addressing the group.   
“I’m going to find Rich, guys.”   
“What?” But Jeremy was already gone. 

**************

Jeremy ran through the halls of Middle Bourough, skidding to a stop when he reached the nurse’s office, flinging open the door.   
“Where’s Rich?”   
“Hm?”   
“Richard Goranski.”  
“Oh. He was sent in last week by another student…”  
“Who?” Jeremy prompted.   
“Dustin Kropp, I believe.”  
“Why?”   
“Why are you so invested?” The nurse smacked her gum, rolling her eyes. “Just like your father.” She mumbled.   
“Hm?”  
“Hm?”  
“Where the fuck is Rich? Why was he sent in?”  
“Black eye. Could barely walk, his bones were fractured, bruises everywhere. He could barely breathe, his lungs were damaged. A gnarly fight, presumably.”   
“Wha- where is he? I have to get to him.”   
“The hospital. It’s about four miles from here.” Jeremy ran out the door and out to Michael’s beaten-up PT Cruiser, fumbling for his spare key, his hands shaking. He could barely think, let alone drive. But, goddamn, he had to get there to Rich. For Rich.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos make my day :)


	5. The Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What happened?” Jeremy walked over and sat one Rich’s bed, his hand moving to clasp the shorter boy’s.   
> “Nothing.”  
> “It can’t be nothing.” Rich glared at Jeremy.   
> “If you tell anyone you’re dead.”  
> “Rich, you can tell me anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter :/

Jeremy cautiously opened the door to Rich’s hospital room.   
“Rich?”  
“J-Jeremy?” Rich looked up from his hospital bed, his eyes glossy. His hair was a mess, sticking up in various places. His usually confident smile was replaced with a solemn look. Although, it was clear that he was soon to be released; he looked “on the road to recovery,” but there were bruises still evident on his arms and legs.   
“What happened?” Jeremy walked over and sat one Rich’s bed, his hand moving to clasp the shorter boy’s.   
“Nothing.”  
“It can’t be nothing.” Rich glared at Jeremy.   
“If you tell anyone you’re dead.”  
“I won’t! I’m not Jenna. Rich, you can tell me anything.” Jeremy smiled.   
“It was my Squip.” Rich’s face fell.   
“What the fuck? How the fuck? Did it-”  
“It’s back.”  
“But how? Did it do this to you?”   
“It made me do it. I have to get it out, but when I did last time…” Rich’s body shook at the thought of Halloween. Jeremy leaned in and hugged him.   
“That’s fucked up.”  
“I don’t know why it’s here.” Rich said, crying into Jeremy’s shoulder.   
“I can get Michael to get some Mountain Dew Red. Do you want me to stay here?”  
“Can you? I don’t want to be a burden…” Rich sniffled.   
“You’d never be, Rich.”

********

“Where are you? You missed so much shit, man.” Michael said.   
“I missed half a day of school.”  
“HALF A DAY! I WAS ALONE! WITH THE POPULAR KIDS!”   
“Jesus Christ, Micha. Rich is asleep.”  
“I can’t see through the phone!”  
“Yeah, yeah. Listen, I need Mountain Dew Red, ASAP.”  
“You’re Squip is back?”  
“Rich’s. Please, get it as soon as you can.”  
“I’m on my way to Spencer’s right now.”  
“You’re the best.”  
“No homo.”  
“Yes, no homo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos make my day :>


	6. Totally Friendly (’s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich grinned as he sat down across from Jeremy at a small, sticky table.   
> “Friendly’s, hm? So fancy.”  
> “Right?” Jeremy giggled from behind his menu.

Jeremy opened the door to his bedroom. “So, this is the place. It’s messy, but…”  
“It’s perfect.” Rich smiled, setting his stuff down on the floor, “Better than mine.”   
“Do you want to, like, sit down? Or have something to eat? Are you allergic to anything? The bathroom is two doors down. Are you sure you don’t need anything?”   
“Bro. Broscicle. Brohemian Rhapsody. Bromosexual. I’m fine. I’m only here for a little bit. Don’t worry about everything being perfect. Also, sorry about you having to sleep on the floor.”  
“It’s okay, it’s a twin bed, what can I do?”  
“Nice room. The Pac-Man bed sheets are a nice touch.” Rich paused. “Shit, that sounded sarcastic. I like it. I really do.”  
“Thanks.”   
“No, Jeremy. I should be thanking you.” Rich smiled. “It really means a lot to me that you’re doing this.”  
“No problem…bro?”  
“Now, what are we eating, babe?”

**********************

Rich grinned as he sat down across from Jeremy at a small, sticky table.   
“Friendly’s, hm? So fancy.”  
“Right?” Jeremy giggled from behind his menu.   
“What ice cream do you get? And what toppings? It better be good, Tall Ass.” Rich laughed, raising an eyebrow at the taller boy in front of him.   
“Vanilla. With rainbow sprinkles.” Jeremy said.   
“What? That's basic.” Jeremy rolled his eyes.   
“What do you get, almighty ice cream king?”  
“Orange sherbet with marshmallow topping, gummy bears, and blue frosting. I chug the marshmallow, save the gummy bears for later, and eat the ice cream with the frosting.”  
“Truly, Rich, there is no one as extra as you.”  
“It’s part of my charm.” Rich said.   
The boys ordered their ice cream and ate in silence, the only noise evident in the empty Friendly’s being the clattering of dishes being cleaned in the kitchen. 

***************

“Thanks again for letting me crash here. Things with my dad have been… less than ideal lately.” Rich flopped on Jeremy’s bed, sighing.   
“You’re welcome, Rich.” Jeremy grinned from the end of his bed, his legs folded together into a criss-cross-applesauce sort-of position.  
“That’s wild, how we’re soulmates. After all that happened, the universe was still like, “no u.” Isn’t it funny how things turn out?” Jeremy chuckled, “Yeah.”  
“It’s like, I fucking bullied you, and the universe was STILL like, “No. He’s the one. Sucks to suck.”   
“It…sucked? Do you even want me to be your soulmate, Rich?” Jeremy sucked in a harsh breath through his nose.   
“No! Jeremy, It’s not like that-”   
“I feel like it is. The way you treated me… god, I’m so stupid.”   
“No! If you’d just listen to me-” Rich’s eyes went glossy with tears.   
“I think I’ve heard enough, Richard.” Jeremy hopped off the bed, grabbing Rich’s stuff. “Can you leave? Now?”   
“Jeremy, just please listen to me-” The tears started rolling down Rich’s freckled face, falling faster and faster.   
“Get. The. Fuck. Out.” Jeremy stiffly handed Rich’s bag to him and pointed to the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Casually makes Rich’s Friendly’s order the same as mine*
> 
>  
> 
> Ah, angst.


End file.
